Well-read · Money · Work & business
Pittance: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Pittance noun. A very small or inadequate amount of money.
How to say it
PIT-unss/ˈpɪt(ə)ns/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (PIT).
Pittance in a sentence
Interns worked fifty-hour weeks for a pittance.
The land was sold for a pittance in 1950 and is worth millions now.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- trifle
- peanuts
- chicken feed
Opposite:
- fortune
Where pittance comes from
From Old French pitance, a pious gift of food, as to a monastery.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The land was sold for a _____ in 1950 and is worth millions now.
- boondoggle
- malversation
- pittance
Show the answer
pittance: The land was sold for a pittance in 1950 and is worth millions now.